Candy Hearts Wreath

I am not a big fan of January. I love Fall and Christmas so much that I always find myself feeling a little gloomy and depressed when the New Year rolls around. This January is no exception, especially because it has been even more dreary and cold than usual. Seriously, y'all - there was literally no sunlight in Dalton for over a week. It was awful! I already have spring fever, and I have it bad.

On the bright side, I'm already getting excited about Valentine's Day. I've had the same Valentine for nine years now but I still think the holiday is a little ridiculous. We should tell everyone how much they mean to us every day, right? Anyway, I'm still a nut for any holiday because I love to decorate and Valentine's Day is just the same. I love color so Valentine's Day is so much fun because it's acceptable to make my house look like a rainbow threw up everywhere. 

I've had a styrofoam wreath form that I've been itching to use for over a year. This weekend I finally made my mind up and decided to make a wreath out of candy hearts for Valentine's Day. It was definitely time consuming but so worth it! I couldn't be happier with the result!

What you'll need:

Styrofoam wreath form

White satin ribbon - 1.5in for the wreath and .5 inch for the hanger

Hot glue gun - I use a mini glue gun

Hot glue sticks - About 5 mini sticks

Candy Hearts - I used 2 large bags of the Sweethearts brand

• First wrap the wreath with the wide ribbon to cover any uneven spots and make a nice under layer for any areas that show through. I glued the ribbon as I went to keep it as tight and even as possible.
• I glued my hearts in one row around the front of the wreath at a time - like an "O." I wanted the hearts to be as evenly spaced as possible. I would leave a teeny tiny bit of space between the first row of hearts to make spacing the following rows a little bit easier. I didn't have a specific pattern, I just made sure I didn't put any one color twice in a row. If you want a specific pattern, buy an extra bag. There are not even amounts of each color in a bag.
• Only put enough glue for about 3 hearts at a time - if you put more the hearts aren't able to set as well and may fall off. Slow and steady wins the race, y'all!
• I tried my best to "window" the following rows of hearts but it didn't always work that way. As long as you glue them as straight and evenly as you can, they will turn out just fine.
• I did about six rows deep because I wanted the wreath the lay flush against the door and not knock the candy hearts off.
• For the hanger - wrap one piece of the white ribbon around the "top" of the wreath. Glue the two ends together and glue the ribbon to the back of the wreath where there are no candy hearts. 
• I like simplicity so I tied a simple white bow and glued the knot to keep it from coming undone. I then glued it to the front of the white ribbon hanger at the very top. 
• I made a little loop with the .5in ribbon so I could hang it on the command hook on my front door. 
• If you can't tell, I chose to glue my hearts with the word side down. I like the clean look of the plain hearts. I think it would be just as cute to space out a few with the words side up.

There you have it! It took me about two hours and $10-$15 total. I absolutely love how it turned out so I encourage you to make one for yourself!